#particularly characters who think they're doing the selfless thing or are trying to or have convinced themselves they are

[antique-symbolism]

I think I was doing something kind of interesting with vampires in CCGCCL/ABFHMM and I miss working on it

[theflyindutchwoman]

And you're so concerned about my love life because? Because I don't want to drive around on patrol with you while you are moping about screwing this up. Look, if you like this girl, you should listen to her.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 4.10 - Heart Beat

For a scene that is supposed to be about Tim and his relationship with Ashley, it is very interesting how it actually highlights the bond he has with Lucy… Something that is made perfectly clear with the way it parallels this moment from The Bet : 'Why do I care if Tim dates? […] You just want everyone to be happy'. (2.03) This exchange completes this scene so well, showing how this is really all about these two. How they just want the other to be happy. How she has often helped him in his relationships, how he has always listened to her and this, from the beginning. Lucy may not be particularly fond of Ashley but Tim is and that's all that matters to her. That's why she basically runs after him.

There might be a slight hesitation at first, where she realises that she might be overstepping a bit here, but she also knows that he needs to be made aware of her conversation with his girlfriend. The fact that Ashley felt more comfortable talking about her fears with her, instead of Tim, already speaks volume. And while Lucy might have joked around in the shop, I think that phone call shed a different light on the situation and made her understand that Tim didn't fully get what was going on. That what he interpreted as a dislike for Kojo is instead a fear of him. And she is so taken aback by how cavalier he is at first. I don't think she expected him to react this way. Though that is a thing with Tim : he can be dismissive but he listens. He takes the time to reflect on his own behavior so he can change it. Like when Lucy called him out for the way he treated the gardeners in the pilot or when she was upset that he was getting the credits for her hard work. And this is what is happening here, he's following that same pattern… He needed to hear this. More specifically : he needed to hear this from Lucy herself. Which makes her statement later all the more ironic.

This is really in-character for Tim to deflect a bit. But there's also a genuine curiosity when he asks her why she cares so much about his love life. They're still in this space where they're testing each other in some ways. It says a lot that he doesn't even think of biting her head off for interfering in the first place, like he used to. They are so far passed that. And it is a very good question… One she asked herself after setting him up with Rachel. And yes, this is who she is : she wants the people around her to be happy. But this is different. We have yet to see her set up anyone else on a date or try to help them mend their relationship the same way. Even when Jackson was having issues with Sterling, she simply offered a shoulder to cry on. That little extra is reserved for Tim, and Tim only. That's what makes this parallel so good in my opinion. Because he himself didn't even question it back then. But now that things are changing between them, he is. Their hug, that almost-kiss, their blatant flirting at work… The fact that he needed her at his side when he confronted his father… This is all adding up and there's an awareness that is starting to grow… But what makes this parallel even more special, is how it underlines their selflessness. They have always helped each other in their respective relationships, regardless of their opinions and feelings. The other's happiness is what matters to them. Even here, it's hard to know whether Lucy is aware of her own feelings for him at this point, but either way, she simply sets them aside to help him - consciously or not.

And like I said earlier, her advice is full of irony : 'if you like this girl, you should listen to her'. Because he does already follow this to the letter… with HER. She is the one person he always listens to. The one that makes him want to be better. Tim being offended at her implication that he mopes is downright hilarious - especially in light of season 5a. Her little smirk when she walks away… His epic eye roll… The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[coraniaid]

A random ask if you're up for it: what's a terrible take about the Buffyverse you've seen on tumblr but have not yet publicly kvetched about?

I'll be honest: this question prompted a moment of minor panic on my part because my very first instinct was to say something like "hmm, no, I don't think I've ever seen a bad take about Buffy on here I've not immediately complained about". Which is an admission that, were it accurate, should probably prompt rather more introspection on my part than I'd enjoy.

Thinking about it though, I don't think that is really true. In fact, I probably don't say anything negative about most of the bad Buffy takes I see, either because they're not particularly widespread (I try not to publicly disagree with other people's headcanons or even argue against popular posts if it would be obvious who I was responding to) or because they're about characters who I just don't talk about on here at all (either because I don't find them interesting or because my understanding of them is so at odds with the wider fandom's we'd be talking at cross-purposes).

(Or, sometimes, I don't say anything negative because I'm too busy enthusiastically reblogging the post in question, if we're being brutally honest about what counts as a "bad take".)

One concrete example I don't think falls under those headings and which I don't remember complaining about before is the way people talk about Buffy's speech in Selfless. Now, I'll be honest: I don't really like Selfless that much. It's in the top half of Season 7 episodes for me, possibly even the top third, but that's a pretty low bar. But what I do like a lot are Buffy/Faith parallels, and this episode has a big one in Buffy's speech towards the end of the episode:

At some point someone has to draw the line and that is always going to be me. You get down at me for cutting myself off, but in the end the Slayer is always cut off. There's no mystical guidebook; no all-knowing council. Human rules don't apply. There's only me. I am the law.

Obviously this reminds the audience of Faith's similar speeches in Season 3's Consequences, when she tells Buffy that the two of them are "better" than ordinary humans and then later that "you know I'm right. You know in your gut we don't need the law. We are the law."

We obviously aren't meant to agree with Faith in Consequences. (The fact that she follows this speech up by almost immediately defecting to work for the Mayor, commiting at least one cold-blooded murder, having a sobbing emotional breakdown where she begs somebody to kill her and then turning herself in to be judged and punished by the very human laws she sneered at earlier is something of a clue.)

A lot of people point out the parallel but then try to explain that what Buffy is saying is actually substantially different from Faith, and that Buffy is right while Faith was wrong. in Myth, Metaphor and Morality Mark Field (who I don't think is actually on Tumblr, technically, but who I'm referencing to avoid talking directly about the many people on Tumblr who agree with him) ties this in to the wider themes of Season 7, and describes the difference between Buffy and Faith as being that Faith is trying to avoid responsibility (for accidentally killing Allan Finch) while Buffy is taking responsibility (for doing what has to be done and killing Anyanka).

And yes, Buffy is doing something different to Faith here. She is not trying to say that she doesn't have to be accountable. She is not making excuses for her own mistakes or bad behaviour. She is trying to do (what she perceives as being) the right thing.

But Buffy is wrong as well. She is proved wrong within this episode. She doesn't have to kill Anya: in fact, she fails to kill Anya (indeed, given what we see of vengeance demons in The WIsh and in Older and Far Away I don't believe Buffy could possibly have killed Anya, but I know that vengeance demon lore is even less rigorous than vampire soul lore). The problem of Anya being a vengeance demon is resolved, not by Buffy, but by the people she was giving her speech to. The people who she was arguing didn't have a say.

Buffy is wrong, too, within the show's established lore. There is a mystical guidebook (even if her Watcher didn't have her read it), and there is a Council (even if they're far from all-knowing, Buffy could have been making use of their resources ever since she asserted her importance to them in Checkpoint, but she chose not to do this). And Buffy isn't alone. (At least Faith got the number of Slayers right in her speech!)

And Buffy is also wrong in terms of the wider season arc. Season 7 is not about Buffy saving the day by heroically taking all the world's burdens on to herself and making all the decisions. Her attempts to beat the First this way end disastrously; cutting herself off from her friends and her family and the very the Potentials she's trying to protect.

(Yes, the climatic scene in Empty Places is poorly written, but the season does very deliberately have Buffy fail to establish any sort of rapport or connection with the Potentials and spend less and less time with her friends. Buffy isn't blameless for those relationships falling apart, even if having her friends and sister kick her out of her own house is absurd.)

Instead of being the lone voice of judgment, Buffy beats the First and saves the world by not isolating herself. By working with her friends; by realizing they can do things she can't; by sharing her power with the Potentials (because "my power should be our power"); by reconnecting with Faith; by accepting help from Angel and from Spike; and by realizing that the people who "made up the rules" for Slaying thousands of years ago made a mistake.

The whole point of Chosen is that it is a refutation of the vision of being a Slayer that Buffy outlines in this episode.

Quoting it uncritically as if it sums up who Buffy is as a person is like, well, using Andrew's speech about "the Dark Slayer" to describe Faith. (Which ... oh, yeah, people also do.)

[kyouka-supremacy]

Atsushi for the ask game.

ATSUSHI HERE WE GO THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY PRAYERS

Favorite thing about them: HIS SELFISHNESS. It's so so delicious to explore. Can you imagine a protagonist that saves others not out of simple good will, but because of egoistic self-preservation motives? It just feels counterintuitive for me lmao, and I found it quite messed up when I first watched the anime, but now it's so compelling to explore. His whole “everything I do is in order to gain the right to live” is crazy fashinating. Because lol, that's entirely nonsensical to me! There's no such thing as “gaining the right to live”; all humans, every person in the world is inherently deserving of life. All. No exception. So there's no level of “weak” or “worthless” that would make you lose that right. The fact that's it's a vision so distant and absurd from mine, idk, it just makes it very compelling to explore? “What if there was a little fucked up guy who believed the right to live had to be earned” just sounds like a very interesting premise.

Least favorite thing about them: When I first watched the anime, I think I found him low-key annoying? I just... Don't do very well with self-deprecating people and people who complain a lot in general, I usually suffer in silence and tend to (wrongly) assume others should do the same (this probably makes me sound pretty mean, I swear I try to be understanding irl). However, it doesn't bother me as much anymore, I simply think it's more of a distinctive trait of the character that makes him multilayered and unique. As of now, I can't think of anything I don't like about him if not the fact that I wish he'd rely on Dazai and others in general a little less. I know that has to do with his lack of self-worth, so maybe it makes sense,, but as of now he feels kind of stuck. I just wish we'd see him grow more on that front.

Favorite line:

There may be better ones, but I really like the delivery of this one.

brOTP: KYOUKA AND ATSUSHI they make me go insane. Already talked about this in the Kyouka post but just to reiterate: in my headcanon Kyouka really is the only person Atsushi feels genuine, selfless affection towards. It's very sweet. They're siblings. Kyouka's happiness is really important for Atsushi. They really do have that feeling of people who got out of an abusive environment learning what normality is supposed to be like together. I also really like how they compensate for what the other lacks, be it decisiveness and coolhead for Atsushi and empathy and positivity for Kyouka. Although plenty shipping them romantically, I really like platonic sskk and atsulucy as well.

OTP: I really like sskk eheh. I think they're neat. There's a thousand and one reasons why I find them pretty great. They're objectively the only reason why I got invested in bsd as well as the only thing that has me keep up with the franchise to this day. Right now, I feel like the one thing I really appreciate about them is how you can be the worst person in the universe and still somehow be loveable to someone. I think it's sweet. I also find it very fun and enterataining to explore their various soulmatism antics. They're both very complex and multilayered characters with something deeply wrong with how their minds work that makes them very fun to analyze both by their own and in the complexity of their relationship. Their collective story arc and canon relationship progression is extremely engaging and nice to follow, too. I love dazatsu and atsulucy as well!! Both were ships I wasn't particularly invested when I read the manga for the first time, but really grew in me in the last six months or so. I really dig akuatsulucy as well!!

nOTP: Nothing?

Random headcanon: He really likes reading. There's some real meta-analysis to be made here I actually had written this is probably not the right place to talk about, but in a work that's all about literature, he's the character who reads.

Unpopular opinion: He's the hardest character to write / characterize. That's why people should probably go easier on other fans when they mischaracterize him. He's just very multifaceted and genuinely hard to get. I keep seeing people being like “Stop babyfying Atsushi he's an independent adult!!” then turn around to say “he can't be shipped with Dazai because there's too much unbalance of power :// [somewhat implying Atsushi can't make free decisions for himself]”, or “Stop making of Atsushi a soft baby who never did wrong in his life!!!” then turn around to say “Atsushi is the happy puppy of the agency who gets treats and pats from everyone ^^ ” like. At least to me, a lot of people's arguments sound self-contradictory all the time; but that doesn't mean people should stop having fun and characterize the characters as they like! Just, let's stop being mean to each other and try to be a little more accepting towards others' takes, shall we? And yes that also includes letting people find Atsushi annoying if they find him annoying (although like, I've NEVER found anyone call Atsushi annoying ever, so really, what remote fandom spaces is everyone visiting? Why are you looking for clothes (good takes) at the soup store (Tik/tok I assume?) ).

Song i associate with them: Common World Domination by Pinocchio-P, HIBANA by DECO*27, Ghost Rule by DECO*27, so on and so forth.

Favorite picture of them:

Favourite panel from the manga:

Favourite illustration: Look, there's too many beautiful illustrations, I can't chose. Here's a very good one though.

Favourite illustration in the anime art style:

But also:

Favourite Mayoi card:

Send me a character?

[kathleenkatmary]

Noirvember: They Made Me a Fugitive/I Became a Criminal (Alberto Cavalcanti, 1947)

I knew almost nothing about They Made Me a Fugitive (also titled I Became a Criminal) going into it other than that it's British noir and it stars Trevor Howard. I've been wanting to watch some Trevor Howard stuff, so I was glad to find that he was in something I could watch for Noirvember. This ended up being probably one of the biggest surprises of the month for me, because this really is a stunning post-war noir with some great performances, an incredible aesthetic, and an incredibly dark, bleak tone throughout its entire runtime.

Howard plays Clem, a war veteran and former POW who takes up with a gang of criminals run by the ruthless Narcy (short for Narcissus, which might be the most on the nose character name in the history of time) when things are tough in the post-war years. But the gang is far more dangerous than he expected, and when he refuses to take part in any jobs involving drugs, the gang sets him up to take a murder rap and he ends up in prison. But when Narcy's ex girlfriend visits Clem in prison to tell him that the member of the gang who actually committed the murder on Narcy's orders is starting to feel guilty about the set up, Clem escapes to try to clear his name.

One of the qualifying aspects of noir is a film's themes and how they relate to and explore the tension and uncertainty of the war and post-war years, and I think They Made Me a Fugitive has one of the clearest voices in that regard that I've seen in noir. This is a story that is explicitly about the state of the world following the war, the way it changed the culture and brought a certain amount of violence to the surface, the way returning veterans gave so much, from their lives to their mental health, to fight for their countries only for their countries to leave them behind when the war was over, and what happens when a country trains a person to be violent and kill for them in war only to abandon those same people once they no longer need them. It's a world where the people who were already pre-disposed toward violence and cruelty like Narcy have the freedom to come to the surface and take a certain level of power, while people who were otherwise peaceful and not prone to violence like Clem were left in positions where they had few other places they could turn. They Made Me a Fugitive isn't particularly subtle about any of this, but I think that's okay. While noir can be subtle, I think it also operates well when it's something of a blunt instrument, blatantly and loudly holding a mirror up to the world left behind in the wake of a decade long depression and horrific war.

The movie is gorgeously filmed and has an incredibly strong sense of atmosphere. From its opening moments it sets up a tone that very much feels like the hopeless postwar world it takes place in. Pretty much every moment is shrouded in darkness, with the majority of scenes taking place at night and with deep shadows that fill up so much of the frame. There's great use of both wide shots that highlight the isolated position Clem finds himself in and extreme closeups to really show the intensity of what's crossing the characters' faces. And usually those closeups are during moments of more intense, unsettling emotion, when Clem has been pushed too far or when we're allowed to see the absolute viciousness that comes out on Narcy's face.

The characters are another hugely important aspect of solidifying the bleakness of the world. There really isn't a single character who acts out of pure selflessness or who helps because it's the right thing to do. When he escapes, Clem never comes across someone who helps him out of the goodness of their own heart. They're either so deeply suspicious of Clem that even though they offer help, he's unable to trust him, or they're only willing to offer help if he agrees to do something awful for them. Even Sally, Narcy's ex-girlfriend who's probably the most decent person in the story, wasn't motivated to try to help Clem out of the goodness of her heart. She was originally motivated by Narcy dumping her to take up with Clem's girlfriend. It's simple, but it's such a good decision, to have even the most decent character in the movie motivated by something that was at least initially selfish. It does so much to show what kind of world this world this is.

The performances in the movie are all excellent, but it's obviously Howard as Clem and Griffith Jones as Narcy really own this movie. Howard is one of the greatest actors of all time, despite how underappreciated he is at least in the States, and he's able to walk the thin line of keeping Clem sympathetic while not making him feel too much like a morally upstanding hero. You can tell that there's a good man in there, but that it's been buried under the crushing weight of hopelessness that serving in the war, being a POW, and returning to a country that seemingly has no place for him has left behind. There's a tiny flicker of hope that Sally's ignited in him, but even with it and the grim determination it inspires, it still feels like that hopelessness is something he cannot shake. Griffith is truly terrifying as Narcy, a true psychopath who measures up as one of the most horrifying noir villains. Whereas Clem's involvement in crime feels more like a necessity that comes from being abandoned by the country he serves and he has a clear aversion to having to hurt or kill people, with Narcy it feel pretty obvious that he's doing it because he enjoys it, right down to and especially the violence. His motivations are purely and completely selfish, and it even feels like he WANTS to hurt people, even when he doesn't necessarily have anything to gain for it.

It's a bleak, sad picture, and that never lets up, even in the very end. It does such a masterful job of making the viewer feel encompassed by the same kind of hopelessness that encompasses Clem. And as a result it ends up being one of the most effect statements about the post-war world to come out of the era.

[inke-ri]

So I had a different post up about the miraculous movie and how it wasn't perfect but - as someone who liked the series back when it was just Ladybug and Chat Noir against the world, and sorta naturally dropped it when the show started to introduce more heroes just bc it wasn't my thing - it felt nice and it gave me closure.

I was just gonna rewrite it in a way I liked better, but Jesus, whatever minor desire to pick the show back up again was very quickly snuffed out by how negative the a browse through the fandom tags felt. It's like people who like the movie are rubbing it in with a sort of arrogance, and the people who don't are almost gatekeepy with how "it's not the show" and how inferior it is bc of that. And I feel like wanting to talk about that instead.

Like. There are actual criticisms and praise going around but it gets lost in a sea of salt. It's kinda scary.

Personally, I liked it. It had some very cheesy lines, a couple scene transitions could have been better, What Have They Done To My Son, Plagg, and Adrienette's dynamic would have benefitted from a couple extra scenes (just a few tweaks showing him a little embarrassed or staring a little longer than usual in the Baddie Of The Day Montage(tm) would fix it, since I think they do a decent job of setting Marinette as special to Adrien given she's the only person we see him open up to about his mom, when we know he and Nino are friends and Nino already stated to always be there for him), to make the turning the ball invitation down + reveal hit harder, but overall it was fun. It was different.

What I truly cannot understand how this isn't Miraculous or how it doesn't really have a story. Sure, it's not The Series but in movie format, including the characterizations (they ARE different characters), but?? I feel like the core of who they are, or who they were back when the show began, still remains. Marinette still struggles with self confidence (which is in line with her season 1 self), and I particularly love how you can see how she HAS that spice bubbling underneath the surface, she just needed a push to embrace it and grow more confident (very Origins of her). Adrien is still closed off and quiet, and I love the implication that it was each other that gave them the push they needed to open up and be stronger and more social. I love how it was still Adrien's kindness that made Marinette fall for him, and Ladybug's bravery and selflessness that caught Chat Noir's eye.

Marinette is still clumsy and a little over excited, which we see in the first music, it just has a sense of WONDER to it instead of a frazzled energy like in the show, lol, poor baby. Adrien is still flirty and punny, he's still closed off, except show Adrien is trying to put up a brave face about it and trying to move on, and movie Adrien has lived with grief for longer and developed different coping mechanisms in regards to it. They're both very interesting in their own right, and I think the timing of Emilie's loss really explains the changes in him- movie Adrien is just past the meek attempts to be happy that show Adrien is still trying to do. He lost his mom and lived with an absent father for much longer than his show counterpart and it SHOWS. It's a different flavor of Adrien, but I think it's a neat choice, to have LB be the reason why he chose to open up. Show Adrien was interesting bc he chose to stand up to his dad in order to go to school, but he still felt alienated from his peers. The movie just makes that separation clearer but lets Adrien grow and hang out with his friends* and create actual bonds with them thanks to having first created a bond with Ladybug. It's a cool take on it.

I also really like what they did with Hawkmoth, though I don't think I can compare it to the show bc back when I watched it Gabriel was more or less just the absent father, mustache twirling villain that he was. This is where that * is inserted, I think the biggest change is that show Gabriel was more controlling of his son's life, and more demanding. Movie Gabriel straight up "lets" Adrien go missing for a whole night and only tries to talk to him the day after. He doesn't seem to mind Adrien spending time with his friends. He doesn't micromanage his son, though we still see hints of that control in how he talks about his designs, so its there, just a little hidden, that pride and arrogance. Again, it's a different flavor of Gabriel, but it works within the characterization of the movie and what they wanted for his character. Reminds me a bit of the Gabriel that wasn't willing to hurt Adrien (which apparently is an early series thing only, rip lmao) but was willing to go all out on Ladybug and Chat Noir.

So... yea. Maybe I'm just out of touch with the fandom and the show. Maybe it's because the characters have grown in ways I simply don't know bc I lost interest, and the modern MLB fandom understandably attaches those changes to the characters and wants to see it represented, which is valid. But tbh? I still love early MLB - not bc the "writing was better" or bc of Astruc v Zag shenanigans (are those still going? oh the war flashbacks) - just bc I vibed with the concept more. I love the show versions of these characters. And I think the movie is a different spin on them, but I think it does them justice. It has flaws, but the show also did, and I loved it anyway.

Speaking of just what I watched back then... I still think nothing in the movie tops the Umbrella Scene(tm), but I love that Ladynoir got a cute equivalent in the sparring one. I love the banter in both. I love the Adrienette moments in the show and I love how the movie expands on the inconditional trust between Chat and Ladybug, on how they're partners and always there for each other. I love Tikki in both. Show Plagg is my baby. I love what they did with Hawkmoth in both (movie and s1/some of s2). Master Fu as a cooky old man is hilarious. The cringe somehow got cringier in the movie. I think it's funny that movie Adrien gets to have his own "oh my god the second hand embarrassment, I want to cry" to balance out show Marinette lol. I love Chat still simping for LB and I love the cute little romance scenes, shipping fodder moments were always one of the strengths of the show, and we have it here in spades, so good for me.

It's just... as I said, it's different, but to me it's a love letter to the MLB that captivated me for years. It does its own thing, but I think I'm just gonna make a few tweaks in my head, mash Origins with the first half of the movie, then watch season 1 and a few select season 2 episodes, then go back to the movie to finish it up. I actually think that they complement each other quite well, even with the characterization changes, because, for example, the early seasons compensate for the movie's lack of Adrienette, while the show expands on the ladynoir side. If you use both, then the movie manages to effectively reverse the love square, allow Mari to grow past her awkward self, deal with the bits of insecurity in her that we still see sprinkled across the series, allow Adrien to stand up to and face his father, and give me a satisfying conclusion to the Hawkmoth plot and a cute little reveal.

I could go on over more talked about topics like the music (its fine. Christina inserts a certain breathlesness to Marinette that you feel Lou is trying to capture but she just can't. I got used to it tho, and Lou's voice is lovely) or the animation (gorgeous), like I did in the original version of this post, but to me what mattered most was the... For lack of a better word, the vibe of the movie. To me, it felt like a little time capsule bc it really embodies everything the fandom liked about the show during season 1 and its hiatus. I can't give it an objective score bc I think my 8.5/10 feels very biased, but I loved the nostalgia trip. I loved getting that closure. I'm still gonna go off and enjoy parts of both the show and the movie, because something something stronger together might just apply to them as well :)

[jess-the-jester]

The Kurumada x Alice rant

Spoilers for all of YTTD up to Chapter 3-B. It might be completely unintelligible but I have strong thoughts on these fictional characters.

I want to talk about Alice and Kurumada as a concept because although when I entered this fandom I legit had 0 ships in mind and didn't find most of the cast shippable, I am in love with these two as a pairing. But I wanna talk about them as characters and why they work so well.

Alice is a theatric man who has some degree of suspicion directed towards others and despite being a convicted murderer is also one of THE BEST people in the death game, morally. Like I love him he's just a good guy.

Kurumada is rough, and abrasive, and refuses to help when he thinks the dolls will die during the fight with Midori, but is also one of the first to actually turn around and reverse his side. He grabs Maple to kill her because he thinks he can- but also because he's protecting everyone else. If he really wanted to, he could've just killed Sou (or, in the other route, ESPECIALLY KANNA) and succeeded in his little mini game. His dialogue might lend credence to the idea that he would. But he's just a little guy that wants to help. When Ranmaru is about to die he offers to take the tag and die, knowing that Ranmaru has more to offer than him in his wounded state.

Him and Alice share violent tendencies and open aggression, with Kuru being more actually violent and Alice being more threatening in speech (Kuru really does just shake his fist at people by contrast). They're really similar, though. Big tough guys who are just softies on the inside, and I think that's why I find them so cute together. There are two ways it goes.

Or that's the space where they both sorta break down from their performance and share in actual feelings. Because they do both have them. We see Alice mourn his sister (even just when she breaks the Bongos)

Either they are perpetually postering to impress the other person which is an age old trope that i still find really funny,

and we see Kuru cry at the thought of the others being killed by Keiji (with the Midori plan).

Now there is one thing in particular I wanna highlight though, that makes this ship particularly compelling for me

In the logic route, as I'm sure most of you know, the remaining Yabasume sibling dies at the hands of a trap set by Ranmaru.

Tragedy

Who is the one to see this trap and report it?

Kurumada

If Kurumada and Alice were truly together, then Kurumada is the first one to witness him nearly dying. Kurumada is powerless to save him himself. He can hardly even walk anymore. There's a giant hole in his chest that may or may not kill him.

Kurumada has to suffer as he is unable to respond, and unable to save Alice, the others failing to get there in time.

Kurumada's actions, which have been entirely self-sacrificial up until this point, culminate as his own choice to try to kill Maple to save the others, end in his failure to save the person he has bonded the most with.

He has chosen others at the ultimate cost of himself.

Kurumada, if he is still alive, is the one to propose that the dolls are the ones placed in the coffins.

Kurumada gives up everything he has, and it is, in the logic route, simply not enough. And even when Alice lives- Kurumada's inability to prioritize himself leads instead to his own death

(Most likely)

AND BEAR IN MIND

IN HALF OF THE RUNS ALICE DIES BECAUSE HE CARED ABOUT REKO SO MUCH HE WAS ABOUT TO KILL RIO

HE WAS ABOUT TO 1V1 AN INHUMAN MURDER MACHINE OVER HIS SISTER

ALICE'S VERSION OF SELFLESSNESS IS NOT PROTECTION- IT IS VENGEANCE

WHEREAS KURU'S IS ALL ABOUT SACRIFICE

ANyway t

that's

why I think they balance each other out

And why I think they're a really sad pairing.

and alice has to watch as his roboyfriend gets turned into mincemeat when that wasn't even an established rule

guys even if you save alice kurumada still has a high chance to die and then he can also die first

and literal best case scenario where both of them live Kurumada still runs out of battery and they just get a tearful goodbye.

I just like them a lot.

[depressedhatakekakashi]

always really loved that trope where everyone has completely different perceptions on one particular character A but the general concensus is that that character isn't really good (??), but then there are these moments where one of the ensemble mentions off hand a nice thing that character A had done which doesn't really fit into their dubious reputation and your sitting there like. hm. that doesnt sound right. maybe there's more to this than what meets the eye. or maybe they're just building them up to be a three dimensional villain?

then character A finally appears after several chapters of foreshadowing and then they're just. A guy. They're not exactly as selfless as some people say they are but absolutely not as heinous as most said they would be, but they're kind and they're just struggling and trying very hard to keep it together. But no matter what they do or feel about it, they've done messed up shit in the past (usually done after being driven mad or insane under extreme suffering and torment.) and now they just want to be very very retired and repent. They're not a hero, or a villain, or somewhere in between. just a very unlucky person somehow getting caught up in ALL the horrible plot relevant events (thus being forced to make horrible decisions with no good option under extreme torment) who just so happens to be very strong. it's very human i love them <3

I have forgotten to rely on a few asks this week, which is terrible of me and I apologize profusely.

This is a top-tier, A+ content trope.

One character who's not particularly outgoing or influential (or at least tries not to be) yet somehow manages to invoke such strong feelings in others that they either hate or love them. There is no between.

Like maybe their closest friends are more chill about their view of them, but everyone else has one extreme view or the other and the character can't figure out for the life of them what they did to deserve such passionate beliefs about them.

they're just trying to live their life and everyone else is telling them that's a problem somehow XD.

I can think of a few characters who fit this trope very well, but I also just love imagining it. Like, there's just this world where a character exists, and no matter what they do everyone either loves them or hates them. Maybe they haven't made the best decisions but they're not as bad as people make them out to be, and their accomplishments are also highlighted to extreme proportions.

a good dude just trying his best.

[juiceicicles]

Something I see in a lot of fandom is Steve making sacrifices and things that don't fit with who he is as a character. Like he's not particularly selfless, but he is one of the only physically active male adults in the party and therefore is the sturdiest.

I think where this comes from is the fact that Steve's parents aren't around much. "Big house, no parents", cheating dad, all things that lead to the conclusion that he doesn't get a lot of love or affection. And so people jump to him making sacrifices so he feels needed or wanted.

It's not wrong, it's just not really the character we've seen on screen. Steve seems to have issues with feeling unloved but he's not channeling it into martyrdom or anything like that, he's channeling it into his dating life.

Steve's filling that void with sex. It's not really working anymore though, or at least he's getting tired of it like he mentioned ("do I really want to start a relationship that has no point other than sex?").

I think it's also the reason he's clinging so hard to Nancy. A girl who he really loved and who loved him too - or at least seemed like it. He wants love so badly! He's trying so hard to be loveable, at Scoops and in season 4.

He's not being himself! He's putting on a persona - albiet one that's close to his real personality, but still a persona. Robin said it best in season 3: "try to be honest" (which is why I think he may be putting on a mask since we don't actually see him flirt much. A couple times yes but those were pretty crash and burn.)

I get where people are coming from and where they're getting this idea, and it's pretty close to the truth. I've seen fics where Steve tries to change to be more like the party and stuff, and it's not wrong. It's just not in the right areas. Steve is a teenage boy, he does not outwardly give a shit about these kids opinions (internally is a different story, up to interpretation ig), but he does care about the opinions of his peers. Like Nancy and Robin.

It feels like there's this narrative that fandom keeps wanting to explore, with Steve Harrington, about this very specific type of martyrdom where self-sacrifice is an expression of a lack of self-worth. And, like, yes, write the narrative that's meaningful to you, and yes ok Steve does admittedly get beaten up a lot, but -- legitimately I do not think this narrative is actually Steve's story.

Like, without gendering things too much, there is something in the Steve fanon that I keep seeing that's so reflective of the specific kind of sacrifice and societal pressures exerted on girls, specifically -- this story of 'you make yourself worthy and worthwhile by carving pieces out of yourself', of believing that you must always give and never receive to justify the space you take up in the world. Yes, boys can experience this same pressure (and obviously trans and nb people of all genders run into it as well! sometimes a lot!), but especially in the mid-1980s cultural context where Stranger Things takes place, it's just...really not likely to be a dominant narrative for Steve to be operating under? It doesn't even really match the Steve we see on screen -- who is happy to make sacrifices for the sake of others, yeah, when needed, but who's not particularly kind or giving unless somebody asks first.

And Steve does get hurt a lot on other people's behalf! And this is a problem! It's just a completely different problem than the one fandom keeps writing.

Steve, and I'm going to say this forever, is a story about toxic masculinity, which the show may or may not even know it's writing. The archetypes influencing Steve's character as it shows up on the screen (and the stories and messages that Steve would actually be surrounded by in his actual life) are not deconstructions of suffering heroes who never should have had to fight in the first place and were destroyed by it. That's the Buffy the Vampire Slayer story. Steve's not Buffy. Steve's cultural context is Indiana Jones.

Steve is The Guy! And part of being The Guy is that you're expected to take the hits -- not because Steve is less important than the women-and-children he's supposed to protect, but because, the story says, he will get less hurt. Why should Steve get in between Billy and Lucas? Because Steve is an eighteen-year-old athlete and Lucas is in middle school, and of the two of them, Steve actually stands a chance. (And yes, Steve got badly hurt there, and Max had to save him -- but if Lucas, if Max had taken that beating they would not have been running through those tunnels later.) Was somebody else better-qualified to dive down to the uncertain bottom of a cold lake in the middle of the night? Steve doesn't list his credentials there as a way of justifying some ideal of martyrdom; he is literally the most likely person on the boat not to drown.

And make no mistake: when Steve's pulled into the Upside-Down, he survives the bats long enough for backup to get there. Realistic or not, he's apparently tough enough that he's physically capable of hiking barefoot through hell without much slowing down. Steve is the tank for the same reason as any tank: because he literally has been shown to have the most hit points in the group. You cannot honestly engage with Steve in this context without dealing with the fact that he's right.

AND THIS IS A PROBLEM! This is still a problem! But it's not the same problem that fandom seems to expect. It's not an expression of caretaking or the need for self-sacrifice; it's not an issue with Steve valuing himself less. It's an issue of toxic masculinity so ingrained that Steve doesn't even recognize he's suffering from it, because one of the tenets of toxic masculinity is that Big Strong Guys don't suffer. It's just a concussion, it's fine, he'll walk it off. It's not that Steve thinks he deserves to get hurt, or even that he's less deserving of safety than the others. It's that absolutely nothing in his cultural context allows him to admit that he can be hurt in a significant way.

There's still so much tension that can be gotten out of this situation, I swear. There's so much that can be explored in writing! Hell, the show itself is deconstructing some of this trope, believe it or not, by giving us a Steve who absolutely can take all the hits thrown his direction but still doesn't know what the fuck he's doing with his life. It turns out that doing his job as The Guy is only mildly helpful in horror movie situations (mostly by buying time for smarter, squishier people to do the damage from behind him), and somewhere a little worse than useless in everyday life.

But Steve does not go out of his way to self-sacrifice, he really doesn't. He just does his job. He's The Guy. Of course he's not going to let a kid or a girl or some scared skinny nerd who just learned about monsters yesterday take the hits. Of course Steve's got this.

[arrantsnowdrop]

Young Love - Lucien x Reader (fluff)

Fanart by janarunneck on Instagram

Summary: Reader is Tamlin's younger cousin and realizes they're Lucien's mate after he flees from the Autumn Court

Warnings: mentions of violence (when Lucien/Tamlin kill Lucien's brothers)

Word Count: 1,500

A/N: Something shorter and fluffy for all the Lucien fans :) Enjoy!

You knew Lucien was your mate the day you met him, from that first moment when he stumbled into the manor of the Spring Court seeking your older cousin after fleeing from his sadistic family. You’d known he was your mate as you and Tamlin consoled him, grief-stricken with the loss of Jesminda, and welcomed him into your home. The mating bond had snapped into place almost instantaneously for you, leaving you reeling in place as Tamlin tried his best to console his frantic friend.

But it was too soon, far too soon for talk of such things with Lucien, who was aching with the loss of his lover, family, and home. And so you kept it to yourself, offering Lucien a shoulder to cry on or an ear to vent to, accompanying him on walks and occasionally leaving baked goods and fruits outside his door. But you never dared to go farther than that, resigning yourself to a century or so of longing.

That century was cut short, however, when the bond clicked for him a few months later.

When Lucien’s brothers came to kill him you’d wasted no time helping Tamlin and Lucien, going so far as to hold one of the brothers down while your older cousin slit his throat.

“Are you watching?” Tamlin sneered to the one brother you kept alive. He was gagged and tied to a chair - it was Tamlin’s idea to force him into watching the mess you made of his siblings.

“He’d better be,” you replied for him, stepping over a body on the floor to help a bloodied Lucien to his feet.

“What do you want us to do with him?” Tamlin asked, gesturing to your terrified hostage.

“Let him go,” Lucien replied, in a voice much darker than you’d ever heard from him. “I want him to tell my father what we did.”

In the morning, after Tamlin had left to get rid of Lucien’s brother, you had tasked yourself with cleaning up the mess left in your cousin’s study. Blood and broken furniture were rather off putting, and you didn’t want Alis to have to deal with that.

Lucien had appeared in the doorway a few hours later.

“How are you feeling?” you asked him from your place on the floor. You’d spent the last ten minutes trying to scrub a particularly large stain out of the carpet, with no avail.

“Have you been in here alone this whole morning?” Lucien asked, ignoring your question completely.

“The room needs to be cleaned, and I told the housemaids to let me take care of it,” you said with a shrug. “They don’t handle stuff like this well.”

“You still shouldn’t have to clean it by yourself,” he frowned, stepping into the room and grabbing a spare rag from the stack you’d brought in with you.

“Oh, Lucien, really there’s no need-”

“I’m helping,” he stated dismissively, kneeling down next to you. “I’m responsible for this mess, anyways.” You shook your head. “It was your brothers’ faults, not yours. They came and sought you out.”

“I still…killed them,” Lucien said softly, as if he was still processing what had happened. You nodded slowly, placed your hand gently over his and patted it comfortingly.

“Well, I hate to be that person, but they deserved it,” you said. “But the fact that you’re feeling upset about it, after everything they did to you, tells a lot about your character.” “Does it?” Lucien asked, turning to you with glossy eyes. “What does it tell?”

You gulped, trying to think of the right words to reassure him without giving away too much of yourself. “Lucien, you’re one of the kindest and most selfless beings I��ve ever met. You’re always doing things for others, you’re always coming with Tamlin and I to help the lesser fae in the forest. You think the best of everyone and only harbor ill feelings towards those who deserve them, I mean, really you’re just fantastic-”

In your rambling you failed to notice the way Lucien’s eyes widened, the way his breath hitched as something became clear to him that you already knew.

“-and you shouldn’t even think for one second that last night makes you any less good, or less kind, because this is the one time you’ve ever fought back or sought any semblance of revenge after all the things they’ve done for you. And you deserved none of it-”

Lucien wrapped his arms around you, pulling you to him in a crushing hug. You gasped, shocked, and wordlessly moved your arms to his shoulders, holding him against you.

“Thank you,” he managed, and you realized he was crying. “Thank you.”

“There’s no need to thank me,” you said gently, resting your forehead against him. “I’m just telling you the truth.”

“Can I tell you something I just realized?” he mumbled, resting his head against the top of yours. You nodded. “I think you’re my mate.”

Your eyes widened, and you pulled back to look up at him. “Lucien, I-” “Y/n,” he whispered, taking your hands in his. His brow furrowed. “Did…did you already know?”

You looked down, bit your lip, and nodded slowly. “I’ve known since the first day you were here.”

“Y/n-”

“I’m no Jesminda,” you interrupted, looking back up at him. “And I know you might want nothing romantically right now, and that’s fine, but I will always, always be here for you in whatever role you need-” Lucien cupped your face in his hands softly, and your words died on your lips.

“I am honored,” he said, voice thick with emotion, “honored to be your mate.”

And as those things typically go, the next few days were spent tucked away in Lucien’s room, exploring each other’s lips and bodies and talking about every little piece of your lives you could think of in between the incessant fucking brought on by the acceptance of a mating bond. It was inspiring, really, how little you’d managed to get done in the past week and a half.

“We should do something,” you said, rolling over to gaze at a naked Lucien, basking in the sunlight on top of the bed. He opened his eyes, turning his head to give you a lazy smile.

“Yea?” he replied. “What should we do, my love?”

You grinned, closing your eyes and relishing in the sound of his endearment. “I dunno, maybe just a walk around? See if anything has changed in the last week?”

“Can’t we just stay here?” Lucien whined, scooting closer to you. He trailed one hand up your arm slowly, rubbing small circles as he went.

“Lucien, we’ve been here for days,” you giggled. He smiled, bit his lip and closed his eyes, as if he were committing the sound to memory. His hair was a brilliant shade of red in the sunlight streaming through the window. It was around noon, you realized, though you had no idea what day of the week it was.

“Please,” you drawled, half-begging. Lucien sighed, smile still on his lips.

“Fine,” he relinquished. “But let’s make it snappy, I want to be back in this bed in an hour, tops.”

You giggled, thanking him before launching yourself off the bed to find some clothes to wear. You slipped on one of Lucien’s shirts and the pair of pants you’d discarded on the ground a week ago, turning back to Lucien and giving him a thumbs up.

His gaze darkened as he looked you over, a lustful look taking over his face. Your eyes widened and you turned around again. “Oh no you don’t, I know what that look means and I don’t want it compromising our walk!”

“But you look so hot in my clothes,” Lucien huffed.

“Not my problem,” you teased, waltzing into the bathroom and leaving a very frustrated Lucien splayed out on the bed.

It took you two hours to get down to the gardens, detained slightly by a trip to the kitchens and what Lucien deemed an “unavoidable quickie.” But you’d finally reached your destination, setting a blanket down on the grass for you to lie on.

“This is nice,” Lucien murmured, playing with your hair while your head rested in his lap.

You hummed, eyes closed, enjoying the slight breeze. “I told you so.”

Lucien chuckled and bent down, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

“I love you, Y/n,” he murmured.

“That’s the fifth time you’d said that in the last ten minutes,” you teased, opening your eyes and tapping his nose lightly.

“I don’t think I could stop saying it if I wanted to,” Lucien replied, grinning down at you adoringly. “And I don’t want to.”

“Well, lucky for you, I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of hearing you say it,” you replied, reaching up and pulling him down for a kiss.

[theflyindutchwoman]

Given recent discussions in the fandom and because I’m curious to hear others’ opinion… would you want to see a Chenford breakup next season?

All right, let me start with my usual disclaimer : this is only my opinion and it has no more (or less) value than anyone else's. And this isn't meant as a personal attack either, regardless of which side of the equation you're in. I actually enjoyed reading other people's takes on this, particularly the ones who want a breakup, to see their perspective on the subject. It was truly interesting (no sarcasm).

To answer your question, dear Anon, no, I don't want a breakup. Mainly because I feel that so many shows go there, so I'm more interested in seeing Tim and Lucy navigate the ups and downs together.

One thing that attracted me to their relationship was their ability to talk to each other about everything and anything. How, despite their differences and their rocky start, they could always confide in each other… Be extremely vulnerable. And that is what I would love to see going forward. How this shorthand they've developed by working together can translate into their personal relationship. Don't get me wrong, just because they are usually good at communicating doesn't mean that it is perfect. It's not. Even before they became a couple. There are some cracks that became more and more visible as the season progressed. The theme of 'honesty' was their main thread in 5b. The storylines involving Sava & Jake or Isabel served to highlight that aspect. To emphasise how lies, deceit and miscommunication can destroy a relationship. Now it could be used as a foreshadowing… Or it could be used as a warning. Tim and Lucy already have a much stronger relationship, so I choose to believe that this could be a learning experience for them. Learn from other people's mistakes, learn from your past (in Tim's case).

Right now, those moments of dishonesty revolves around one common theme : work. Tim taking a desk job without consulting Lucy first… Lucy doing the five-player trade behind his back… Him trying to lie at first that he wasn't bored out of his mind… Her not saying anything about Primm (as far as we know)… Him not wanting to open up about his fears regarding undercover…  Those are starting to pile up and they're going to need to address it. The sooner, the better. Particularly the undercover talk. This has been a long time coming. It's clear that Tim is terrified but doesn't want to burden Lucy with this. And she can sense it. That last scene in 5.21 was (for me) a step in the right direction where they started voicing their concerns. It's nowhere near sufficient. But they stopped avoiding that topic altogether. Like I said, they can be great at communicating… But they can also be their own worst enemies. They're both selfless when it comes to the other… they're both used to do things a certain way. And now, they need to learn how to do these things together. To talk about these moments that may seem insignificant to them but isn't to the other. To stop making decisions for the other. This is quite new to them : as we've seen in the past, they didn't truly open up to their boyfriends/girlfriends. That's something they are going to have to learn together. And that's okay : this is part of the journey of being in a relationship.

Another reason why I don't want to see that is related to the characters' growth. The thing is, I actually could picture Tim breaking up with Lucy because there is a pattern here. If he got it into his head that he is holding Lucy back, an idea already planted by Noah in 5.16, then yes, it wouldn't be out of character for him to break up, thinking it's the right thing to do for Lucy. Which is not that dissimilar to what he did in 5.02 : sure, they weren't together, but it still felt like a separation. Especially since the end of that scene mirrored so well another one from 1.12… when he decided to divorce Isabel. And if you remember, that was pretty much for that very same reason : he was afraid that being with him would only remind her of her time as an addict and bring her down. So he did what he thought would help her the most and decided to divorce her. So breaking that pattern would be a tremendous character development for Tim (in my opinion). Then, there's the fact that this is something they knew would be coming up at some point. This isn't a new obstacle. The episode before they got together had Lucy go undercover. And Tim, even more so than her, knew what he was getting into when he told her that it was worth the risk. He may not have explicitly said it but the implication that she was worth fighting for was right there. So breaking up for something that they could foresee kind of negates those words. And it would play right into Lucy's insecurities. She was so hesitant because she didn't want to lose what they have. She is finally letting go of the fears that prevented her before from fully committing to a relationship… Her certainty in them is absolutely amazing. So breaking up now would hurt her so much. (I focused mostly on Tim here because I struggle to see a reason for Lucy to break up. At least, not if this is related to her career, be it undercover work or her promotion).

Now, that's not to say that it can't be executed in a beautiful way. Sometimes breaking up can help strengthen a relationship, as odd as it might seem. Sometimes it gets too much and taking a step back can offer a new perspective and a fresh start on healthier grounds. Just like sticking in a relationship at all costs can be very damaging and toxic. I mean, take a look at Lucy and Tim in their last respective relationships… They stayed well past the expiration date. But I, personally, would rather see them work this out together. See them 'fight' and argue, like they've done in the past… that very same thing they didn't do with Ashley and Chris. See them all vulnerable with each other, like they've also done in the past. I honestly think the writers could pull off the angst and drama with this storyline, without having to resort to a breakup. But again, that's only my preference :)

[kinkymagnus]

Any favorite headcanons about Malec (as a couple or the individual people) (kinky or non-kinky) I like thinking that a good part of the reason Magnus invented the portal, is because he has an atrocious sense of direction, and he used to get lost a lot, before he could just teleport to where he needed to be. (I know they say in the show that he invented the portal together with Lydia's ancestor, but I personally think that Henry Branwell just helped him to make an anchored portal version for shadowhunter institutes to use, and that Magnus made portals for magic users that could be summoned without anchoring them in place way before then.)

For Alec, I don't actually have that many hcs. I do like to think that he has a secret sweet tooth, that he hides away out of some mistaken belief that it would make him come across as immature. (which Magnus cures him of over time, and that may involve eating chocolate sauce off his body.)

hmmm i mean that's a really broad question 🤔 for one i'm in the "they're neurodivergent kings" camp. autism/adhd solidarity. and we all know magnus is trans 😌

also i will see literally any character i relate to and go "oh is anyone gonna make that touch-starved?" and not wait for an answer so uhhhh Touch Starved Magnus. like. especially just like. god. i feel like for a long time magnus is used to mainly two types of touch: violent (aggressive, often painful, whether it's someone actively trying to kill him or just getting between people fighting or whatever) and sexual (not inherently bad, but there's a certain dynamic of wanting something from him, and the only positive touch he really gets outside of certain situations is like. through a certain lens, when he's being a certain way, especially because i feel like he's a big people-pleaser in bed, and can be a selfless lover to the point of like, it not being as good for him, you know?) that's not to say his friends never touch him, ever, but for one, being immortal, it's not like they meet up as often as mortal friends might, and two, several of them just aren't particularly touchy people and he never wanted to cross any boundaries with them . anyway what im saying is he needs hugs real bad :(

(alec provides said hugs, but also like. as he starts healing from all this past trauma and stuff he gets better at expressing these things to non-alec people as well so like!!! also with his friends!!! who may not have even known this was a problem because he's so good at hiding his own issues!!!)

also good call on the portal thing. both for henry and magnus being, ah, directionally challenged. he's insanely competent at like 99 percent of the things he does but bless him he's so bad at finding his way around. adhd king, i repeat

(and yes, henry helping out but getting all the credit. naturally. shadowhunters, amiright? not henry necessarily, but the people who gave him all the credit.)

oh alec would be more than happy to lick sweet things off of magnus 👀

[cruelfeline]

It's always so interesting to me, to see how people-who-don't-like-Hordak interpret his character arc compared to his fans. Like, not in a bad way. Everyone is obviously entitled to their own opinions. But there's such a difference in interpretation!

For a long time I thought it was just a double standard, because I'm tired of being made to sympathize with cruel male characters and I also relate to Catra because her traumas reminded me of my own. I always said that Catra's redemption arc isn't about whether she deserves one. Deserving isn't the point - change is the point. So if deserving isn't the point, why am I unwilling to give the same emotional grace to Hordak? And I recently realized what was the difference between Hordak and Catra for me.

Catra chose to change.

Hordak...made a friend?

It felt to me like I was supposed to think Hordak wasn't so bad because he was capable of love when he bonded with Entrapta, even though he continued to strive toward his goals of conquest. Even in the finale, he didn't show regret for the destruction he wrought on Etheria - he told Horde Prime that he'd accomplished all these things on his own, with no remorse for the horror he'd inflicted. He didn't even blame Prime for conditioning him into a warlike person who inflicted horror, which would have at least acknowledged what he'd done was awful.

This is a thought process I've seen sso many times, and I think it's usually from Catra fans because they're focused on Catra, and Catra's story is one of legitimate redemption. We all have different opinions on how successful that redemption was, but everyone can generally agree that Catra undergoes a downfall, followed by a redemption arc, over the course of the show. Using Catra as a focus, I feel like people end up trying to interpret Hordak through the same redemptive lens, and when one does that... well, sure: it doesn't really work. But it doesn't work not because Hordak had a poor character arc; it's because his character arc had nothing to do with redemption whatsoever.

But that's not what happened with Catra. Like Hordak, she spiraled into a pattern of cruelty because she was struggling with constant pain, felt abandoned, and war was all she'd ever known. What Catra did was plan to do one selfless thing when she understood how important her love for Adora was, by saving Glimmer, then die having done that "one good thing." Then she found herself being given another chance, which she believed she didn't deserve because she understood all the pain she'd caused. She understood that she'd waged war on innocent people, that she'd hurt and manipulated those close to her, and she believed she deserved to die because of it.

A key aspect to Catra's redemption is that her remorse, her acknowledgement of pain caused, revolves around Adora. Maybe Scorpia and Entrapta, but to a much lesser extent. It has nothing to do with the war. It has nothing to do with the Etherian populace. It has everything to do with her friends because that is what SPoP is about: it uses the traditional "She-Ra war" backdrop as a setting for an intense story about relationships, trauma, friendship, community, religion, self-loathing, and self-love.

At no point does Catra give any attention to the "innocent people" she waged war on because they're not the focus of the story. They're not supposed to be. Whether that's for better or for worse is a whole other discussion, but it serves, in part, to explain why Hordak doesn't have these redemptive moments: he didn't hurt his friends. Friend. Entrapta. No. Friends. He has Imp, too. Anyway! The point is, he did not harm them. He did not fit the "toxic friend" role that Catra ended up filling. So the redemptive arc she underwent just wasn't particularly applicable.

Remorse and redemption regarding the Etherian populace? Maybe, but (a) that's not at all what Catra's redemption was about and (b)...

I'm not saying that her feelings of remorse are the reason she "deserves" a redemption arc while Hordak doesn't because he didn't "feel remorse." The feelings aren't the point - here's the point: Catra understood what she did wrong and made the decision and effort to change. She decided to face her past and work towards a better future despite everything she'd done. (And while that process did feel quite rushed, I believe that's mostly because the showrunners didn't know if they'd get a sixth season and didn't want to risk it, so they packed two seasons worth of story into one.) We didn't see any of that with Hordak. There was no owning up to his actions alongside him throwing off the chains of his upbringing, and it would have been so much more interesting for his character if he'd shown that recognition and wanting to do better.

It cannot be stated enough: Hordak's arc has nothing to do with redemption. That is not its point. That is not its purpose.

Hordak is an individual who was "born" as an indoctrinated cult-slave. His entire life revolved around his god-creator-brother. And everything he did was in service to that god-creator-brother, who held such terrible power over him that, even separated in a shadow dimension, Hordak continued to act according to his rules and doctrines.

This is important to understand because, according to Prime, what Hordak did on Etheria wasn't "wrong." The world Hordak has been indoctrinated into - the laws he understands as "real" - dictate that this was the only way to prove himself to the only source of love he knew. So that was what he did. Contrast this with Catra, who knew that was she was doing was wrong while she did it, and it further explains why Hordak doesn't go through the same redemption she goes through. Catra knowingly harmed her friends. Hordak waged war with the understanding that it was justified and appropriate.

The point of Hordak's arc is self-actualization and self-love. It has nothing to do with recognizing that what he did was "wrong" because, in order to even consider that concept, he has to recognize himself as a valid individual, never mind everyone else. His arc is about understanding what being loved actually feels like, recognizing that he's been abominably abused, and making the choice to value himself over the monstrous cult-leader who had created him.

Hordak didn't just "make a friend." Hordak found someone who taught him what love is. Someone who showed him what it actually means to be loved, to have someone truly care for you. It was only because of this - because Entrapta showed him what a true loving connection was - that he was able to break free from Prime. That he was able to see himself as a valid individual, rather than a clone subservient to a cruel god.

So! Yeah. That's one of the major differences I think exists between people who enjoy Hordak and people who don't. People who don't enjoy him often express disappointment in him having a poor redemption arc, in him not demonstrating remorse for his actions. Whereas people who do enjoy him tend to recognize that redemption and remorse are not really at play in a character arc that is focused on learning to be loved and recognizing one's own validity as a person.

And because I can't possibly say everything I've ever said on the topic here, some further reading for anyone who wants it:

Morality is (sadly) not a Universal Thing Why Hordak Doesn’t Just Become a Good Citizen Hordak Was Forgiven Without Redemption, And I’m OK With That Hordak’s Arc Speaks Directly to People who were “Raised Wrong” Whining About Hordak not Saying Sorry is Silly On Hordak’s Bodily Autonomy, or Lack Thereof So! That Purification Ritual was Really Something The Clones Are Essentially Trapped By Prime And It Upsets Me Prime’s Doctrine Ensures Hordak Blames Himself, and it’s an Awful Control Measure Each Clone Will Have to Realize That They Were Victimized Prime is an Actual God to the Clones and it is Terrifying Catra and Adora have Happy Memories; do the Clones?; does Hordak? Prime's Power is Legitimately Terrifying Untangling Hordak’s Backstory in Light of What We Now Know Hordak’s Rebellion and Subsequent Possession Essentially Summarize His Story Why Hordak Getting Possessed is Narratively Good Literally Just a Thread Explaining Why Hordak is Sympathetic The Escalation of Hordak’s Situation is Really Something There are Monumental Differences Between the Galactic and Etherian Hordes in Terms of Brainwashing and Agency Someone Asked Me if I Found Hordak’s S5 Arc Satisfying Discussing Whether Or Not Hordak Planned on Leading Anything After Conquering Etheria More Observations on Hordak's Lack of Agency in so Much of His Life Just Thinking About Hordak's Development During Season 5 Taking a Careful Look at How One Scene Portrays Significant Hordak Character Development Horde Prime Treats His Prisoners With More Respect Than His Clones Because Clones Aren't People Catra Overcomes her Fear of her Abuser; Hordak Does Not Why Hordak’s Trauma is Particularly Disturbing To Me (compared to Catra/Adora) A Sassy Post About People Complaining the Hordak and Catra are Forgiven Watching Hordak Give Up Is Heartbreaking Hordak and Catra's Sunny Endings Make me so Much Happier than the Elktaur's Realistic One Words about the S4 Finale and Hordak's Relationship With Prime Two Years Later "What Have You Done to Me" is an Incredible Line Hordak is a Villain That Needs to Learn to be Loved, and that's Interesting Hordak's Expression While Prime Touches His Face Hurts Me

And my favorite post of all time: All My Words About That Hordak/Adora Scene

...in retrospect, that's a lot of posts. I may have a problem.

But! If OP was ever curious to see what Hordak's fans think of him, or how they interpret his arc, this is the viewpoint of one (1) fan.

Catra vs Hordak

She-Ra ended years ago, but like many things that I love, I still think about it.

Something I've struggled with is how much I dislike Hordak. It was mostly contextualized in terms of why I'm not a fan of Entrapdak (this is NOT an invitation to hate on the ship) but also in why I'm willing to forgive Catra's crimes but not Hordak's. I think I've finally figured out why.

For a long time I thought it was just a double standard, because I'm tired of being made to sympathize with cruel male characters and I also relate to Catra because her traumas reminded me of my own. I always said that Catra's redemption arc isn't about whether she deserves one. Deserving isn't the point - change is the point. So if deserving isn't the point, why am I unwilling to give the same emotional grace to Hordak? And I recently realized what was the difference between Hordak and Catra for me.

Catra chose to change.

Hordak...made a friend?

It felt to me like I was supposed to think Hordak wasn't so bad because he was capable of love when he bonded with Entrapta, even though he continued to strive toward his goals of conquest. Even in the finale, he didn't show regret for the destruction he wrought on Etheria - he told Horde Prime that he'd accomplished all these things on his own, with no remorse for the horror he'd inflicted. He didn't even blame Prime for conditioning him into a warlike person who inflicted horror, which would have at least acknowledged what he'd done was awful.

But that's not what happened with Catra. Like Hordak, she spiraled into a pattern of cruelty because she was struggling with constant pain, felt abandoned, and war was all she'd ever known. What Catra did was plan to do one selfless thing when she understood how important her love for Adora was, by saving Glimmer, then die having done that "one good thing." Then she found herself being given another chance, which she believed she didn't deserve because she understood all the pain she'd caused. She understood that she'd waged war on innocent people, that she'd hurt and manipulated those close to her, and she believed she deserved to die because of it.

I'm not saying that her feelings of remorse are the reason she "deserves" a redemption arc while Hordak doesn't because he didn't "feel remorse." The feelings aren't the point - here's the point: Catra understood what she did wrong and made the decision and effort to change. She decided to face her past and work towards a better future despite everything she'd done. (And while that process did feel quite rushed, I believe that's mostly because the showrunners didn't know if they'd get a sixth season and didn't want to risk it, so they packed two seasons worth of story into one.) We didn't see any of that with Hordak. There was no owning up to his actions alongside him throwing off the chains of his upbringing, and it would have been so much more interesting for his character if he'd shown that recognition and wanting to do better.

[a-tiny-frog-girl]

For the emoji ask game: 👊🥞🎂🍓🌙🙈🙊🙉🌌🪤🖍❇️💧☁️💗♥️💖

I have a many questions lol❤️

This is for Mars!! I love talking about her so much you don't even know 😭😭

👊 (are they quick to violence?) It would take someone hurting her friends for her to even get angry, and then she'd mostly just yell, so no lol.

🥞 (comfort breakfast?) Mars doesn't really have any type of favorite foods, but she does have a sweet tooth, so as long as it's sweet, she'd enjoy it and she'd still eat it even if it isn't.

🎂 (when is their birthday and do they like to celebrate?) Mars' birthday was not recorded because in my story, borrowers don't do human time. (semi spoilers now) However, she does know she was born in early Autumn, and the first time her birthday goes happens, she's not in a good place. So the next year the team goes all out to remind her that she's loved and to distract her, even giving her an official birthdate for fun. She does enjoy celebrating her birthday :).

🍓 (do they like fruit and veg? favorite fruit and veg?) Mars doesn't particularly like any food over another with an exception of sugary foods. She would definitely be excited to try fresh fruit and veggies, but she'd take some chocolate over it any day.

🌙(greatest wish? how far will they go for it?) I think Mars' greatest wish would just be to be enough for the people around her. She would drive herself into the ground physically and emotionally if it meant people liked her.

🙈(what part of themselves do they not want people to see?) Basically anything but what she considers perfect; which would be smart, able-bodied, agile, selfless, etc, etc.

🙊(what will they not stay silent about?) When her loved ones are mean to themselves, especially when they're straight up incorrect. She will have a literal debate with them about why they are a good person.

🙉(what is the worst thing someone could say to them?) Something along the lines of pointing out several mistakes and then saying that they or a loved one better off without her.

🌌(what inspired this oc? what was the first thing you knew about them?) I don't remember since I feel like I've known her for so long, but I remember knowing her name right at the very beginning. I think some of her first character traits were anxiety and loving space, if I can recall.

🪤 (what will always lure them into certain danger?) Loved ones in danger or loved ones telling Mars to go into certain danger for whatever reason. She would easily swap herself with any one of the people she loves if she felt that was the best way to get them home safely.

🖍️ (what advice would you give them?) I based Mars a lot on my younger self who struggled with self worth a ton. I would give her the coping mechanisms my therapist gave me and ask her to try to be kind to herself.

❇️ (what is their most prized possession? what do they value?) Two most prized possessions: Her yellow hair ribbon which was given to her by her mom when she was very small, and a green scarf knit specifically for her by a friend.

💧 (random angst headcanon) Mars' mom sort of gave up on her when she was a tween. She used to praise Mars all the time, but Mars started not being a smaller version of herself and she wasn't happy with her. Mars constantly thinks about what her mom would say or do in situations despite her being awful to Mars for years.

☁️ (random soft headcanon) Mars is INCREDIBLY curious about everything that she doesn't know. She loves learning more than anything and she is a very quick study. She could definitely be a genius with access to enough knowledge.

💗 (if they have a crush, is it noticeable? what changes?) Mars would probably go out of her way to get things for her crush and spend time with them and be too shy to touch them. Most noticeably, I think she'd be nervous talking to them even if she's known them for a while.

♥️ (their love language?) Touch!! Being in physical contact with someone makes Mars so happy and much more grounded. She actively seeks out to sit as close to her loved ones as possible.

💖 (are they a subtle or a showy lover?) Subtle because she's afraid that either she'll annoy them or they secretly don't care about her. The most showy she is would be with her trust when she decides to trust someone.

[pyrten]

DAZAI OSAMU : QUICK CHARACTER STUDY

(At 3 AM in the morning and that's why it's messy, all over the place and generally, shit.)

Majority of the characters in BSD are morally grey, Dazai included. I'm unable to categorise characters into good or evil, which is what makes BSD really nice to watch.  

Majority of the instances, whenever I have an opinion on someone like Dazai, it's mainly based on their actions. I'll make an exception for his case because I believe he speaks the truth sometimes. 

It's seriously difficult to believe what someone like him says. His weapon is his intellect and his tongue. He could say this and do that instead. Obviously he isn't good at combat, but he could say something and have you on the hook.

He's cunning, sly and in general: a liar (sometimes). As for psychological manipulation… well, it's not something to be looked down upon since it's in our everyday lives.

DARK ERA

He has a more serious aura and was far more suicidal compared to ADA Dazai. He barely flinched when a bullet grazed his cheek. 

I won't even sugarcoat the fact that Dazai is an asshole. 

The way he treated Akutagawa is wrong. The training may have made him resilient, but his mental health isn't in an okay shape. In the end, he even upped and left him without an explanation (although, I think Akutagawa has an idea of why he left).  

Remember when he fired at the GSS captain? If I didn't count wrong, it was 13 shots (my dude over here desecrating a corpse). 

(I couldn't find the GIF of him shooting the corpse, so this is as close as I can get)

He does poke fun at Chuuya, and you can perhaps say that he does some good (but we've only seen a single good deed so far…).

He recognized that Chuuya was being manipulated by the Sheep and in his own way gave him a push. There was the part* when Shirase was talking and it zoomed in on Dazai, who had a wary, analyzing look on him. 

It's clear that the Sheep is quite dependent on him. They believe that Chuuya will be there to save them whenever they fuck up (ex. crossing the river to steal booze, when they know it's near the PM HQ, in result, getting a few of their members captured). They came looking for him to put it simply, beat up and save their comrades, which points towards the fact that they are using him for his ability. 

Shirase also said:

"People who hold more cards than others have a responsibility. Fulfill your responsibility as the one with the trump card called an ability."*

Which again, further points towards the fact that they are using him for his ability and somewhat guilt tripping him. 

Dazai later adds his own input.

"Amusing. You guys are truly amusing. He's by far the strongest among you, but he's like a sheep being stared down by wolves." 

Called out. 

It then changes to show Chuuya's face. Honestly he looks on guard, and I think he knows what they're trying to do, but it's a can of worms he would rather not open, y' know?  

Dazai then later says once more when Shirase is trying to convince Chuuya to kick the PM's ass.

"Give it a rest. He has the freedom to choose how he uses his ability. Even a child would understand that. There's no argument." 

And as a final attempt to convince Chuuya, he pulls the old guilt trip card, which Dazai and Chuuya ignore. 

"Don't forget, Chuuya! The Sheep who took you in when you had no identity and nowhere to go! 

When all of this is happening, Dazai knew Chuuya was being manipulated, and he also watered the seed of doubt with his actions, and in the end the Sheep turned their backs on Chuuya, which led to Chuuya joining the Port Mafia. 

I can say this was a small good deed, pulling Chuuya out, but the choice was Chuuya's and he just gave a push. 

ARMED DETECTIVE AGENCY

Dazai isn't a naturally kind and virtuous person, but he's trying, for Oda (oh boy).

The way he handled Kyoka's situation wasn't all rainbows and confetti. 

I have a feeling he's trying to look at the bigger picture, to save people (perhaps because he blames himself for Oda's death, but I'll set that aside temporarily due to the time), but his methods aren't... nice. Atsushi has gotten hurt multiple times, Akutagawa too. In some ways, I suppose I can understand some things are unavoidable, but still. 

Compared to how he treated Akutagawa, he's far better with Atsushi. He's treating him the way Oda treated him. 

Atsushi has a completely different mindset compared to Akutagawa. He's a selfless person, he fights injustice. If Dazai tried to treat him the way he treated Akutagawa, I can confirm that isn't gonna turn out good. 

Besides, he's trying to become a better person. That, and he owes Akutagawa an apology.

From this part onwards, these are all flash thoughts that I wrote quickly because I'm falling asleep by the minute.

FLASH THOUGHT #1 :

Now that's over with… I don't particularly have anything to add on. So I'm going to move onto… uh, how do I word this, facade?

I said above that his weapon is his intellect. It's clear that whatever he has on can be fake, or real. Y'know that goofy, playful Dazai we all know. 

He's probably able to control his every movement and actions. Like, I cannot imagine Dazai doing something ACCIDENTALLY. Imagine that, someone who can control his own heartbeat, doing something accidentally (unintentionally, he never meant to do it, yeah that would be surprising).

But then again he's human… despite being a strategic and tactical genius… so yes, him doing something on accident would be interesting to watch.

Now if he miscalculated or like mistaken, uh, like that time, with the hiker, BSD Season 3. Then, yes that's understandable. 

FLASH THOUGHT #2:

Mk… facade and accidents are covered… uh… I'll talk about the power he had when he was 14, Dark Era Dazai.

… He had enough sway in the mafia since he was 14 (correct me if I'm wrong). He was allowed to be the sole witness of the Boss's final wish. SOLE WITNESS. A young boy at the age of 14 was allowed to be the sole witness. 

He was considered to be the youngest executive in the Port Mafia. If so, then why didn't the other executives (during the reign of the Old Boss) fight over the choice to be the witness of the Boss's death other than Mori. Perhaps the Old Boss didn't have executives, but that's unlikely.  

Now, that's something.  

FLASH THOUGHT #3:

Talking about suicide… I think Dazai doesn't want to die, but he does. He's failed so many suicide attempts, some of them being sabotaged, but what about the others. 

Since Dazai didn't have anyone around his age constantly (save for Oda and Ango, but several years later… perhaps when he was 16, seeing how Oda and Dazai knew each other during the Dragon's Head Rush), he only had victories of his missions and such to comfort his loneliness.  

I think that it's practically ingrained in him. 

Dying means winning and losing. Your life is finished. 

If that's the case, dying would mean he lost (but won). It's conflicting and confusing as hell, I know ;-; . I'm trying to explain my thoughts the best I can - . 

When Chuuya came around, his loneliness was, um, calmed, a little. 

Oda died and gave him a reason to live.

I think he still feels a little lonely though.

That's the end. I'll be out like a light in about 3 mins so I'll just, drop a GIF and go before I start pressing anything on accident.

Yep, okay, bye bye.

oh, I forgot the hashtags, um .

Hashtags added.

Good night. :D

[semirahrose]

Have you ever stumbled upon a Sam hater's blog and sincerely questioned what show they're watching? Because I recently saw Sam described as manipulative, condescending, narcissistic, ungrateful, petty, hypocritical, entitled, only caring about himself, lacking empathy & compassion, demanding comfort while never showing any himself, playing the victim, guilt tripping those around him, being heartless, selfish, and apparently never taking responsibility for his mistakes. (1/2)

(2/2) I’ve just never been more confused. And when I see dozens and sometimes hundreds of people agreeing with these kinds of posts it makes me wonder if I’M the one misinterpreting Sam’s character. Are they right that Sam is supposedly this terrible or are they just demonizing him in order to prop up their own faves? Idk it’s just that Sam is one of my all time favorite fictional characters and these posts really get to me sometimes and make me feel like I’m losing it. Help Semirah!

Oh, dear. I have seen Sam described in exactly that same way, and I even read all the way through the “meta” that “supported” those assertions. 

I absolutely get how you feel. I feel the same way sometimes. I wonder if I’ve tumbled so far into my love for Sam that I’m deluding myself and others into thinking that Sam is one of the nicest fictional characters ever to grace the SPN universe.

And then I question myself and decide for a while that I’m utterly useless and should Stop™, but whether or not that is true, I eventually come to the conclusion that if I’m right about one thing in this entire Chuck-forsaken universe, I am  right about Sam. Okay, at least partially right—so maybe he doesn’t have the softest hair in the entire world; sue me.

The thing is, I question myself every time I stumble on that stuff. But then I take a deep breath and dive into it…

…and the lack of textual support is laughable. When Sam hate does come with “support”, it’s cherry-picked and stripped of context or supplied with a “context” that comes from fanon and is based on unsupported assumptions.

I may be critical of Dean in the SPN universe, but I try my best to be sensitive to the context of the story in which he acts. 

Here’s the thing: so many Sam haters cite that scene in “When the Levee Breaks” as absolute, irrefutable proof that Sam is not only a selfish, evil, egotistical bastard, but also a murderous sociopath. They say that because Sam overpowered Dean and put his hands around his neck, he intended to murder him and is therefore The Actual Worst™.

And I’m gonna be real: that was not Sam’s most glorious moment, and I don’t support violence as a solution regardless of who wields it, and I can’t defend what Sam or Dean did in that scene. I can’t, and I won’t… but it was entirely understandable, and though anyone who knows me is aware that I am skeptical about a lot of things regarding Dean, that scene doesn’t even register.

(Cinematically/writing-wise, though, it was amazing, and long overdue. The tension and anger had been building THE WHOLE FREAKING SEASON, and if punches were not thrown and things not broken, I don’t know what would have happened.)

So yeah. Not anyone’s most shining moment. Not Dean’s either. But while people like the ones you mentioned defend Dean’s repeated pattern of violence to the ends of the earth because ~he’s sad THOUGH~ Sam does not get the same generosity of spirit.

That encounter was inevitable on both sides, but Sam was particularly aggrieved, and that is why, for the first time in the entire freaking show, Sam himself (not possessed by a demon or a ghost or whatever the heck the Winchesters have seen and been possessed by up to this point), Sam initiated a physical conflict for the first time in the entire show. At that point, Dean had punched Sam several times without response or retaliation on Sam’s part, but no. Sam finally snaps after four whole seasons and he’s ~evil.

And I’m not defending violence, but context is absolutely necessary to understanding the reasoning on both sides.

Sam had just been tricked by people he loved and trusted. He was forced into a detox that would have killed him. He was left alone and in pain. Before Dean locked him in without food, a toilet, or support, he called him “weak […] desperate, [and] pathetic.” He and Dean both believed (yes, even in that very episode) that killing Lilith was the right thing and the only thing to do. Dean said he’d kill her even though he didn’t have a plan and the last seals were about to be broken. Sam felt backed into the corner. He hallucinated Dean saying horrible things and wasn’t able to differentiate it from reality. He escaped and drank blood from Ruby. He was under its influence during the confrontation with Dean.

Whether they meant to or not, both brothers said things that got to the very heart of the other’s insecurities, and for the first time, Sam not only threw the first punch but actually came up as the victor in that ugly, painful fight.

I’ll accept that Sam was rash, emotional, hurt, angry—I will not accept that he is evil or cruel or egotistical or whatever the hell else people are trying to sell. There isn’t any support for it.

Context matters, and it shows a man pushed to his limits, a man who never acted in that way before and has never done so since. 

contextmatters.

And even though I question myself every weekday and twice on Sundays, it doesn’t change the fact that all of the “evidence” of Sam’s evilness and selfishness and narcissism and sociopathy is cherrypicked (and naked of context) at best, and purposefully twisted and misinterpreted at worst.

Sam is flawed, perhaps more than I give him credit for. (Hey, I love him, and love makes us biased.) But he is one of the most faithful, selfless, kind, understanding, and compassionate characters in the show, and anyone who thinks otherwise is missing out.

So to the haters who try to paint Sam as evil, I say:

And to you, dearest anon, I say it’s 100% understandable that you feel the way you do, but with as much confidence as I have in me at any given moment, I can assure you that Sam is as well-intentioned, generous, faithful, badass, and loving fictional character as ever was crafted for this garbage fire of a show (and I say that in a loving way from my own dumpster), and I hope you can believe in that if in nothing else in this lengthy and rambling reply.